A solar boat service linking Veli and Kadinamkulam in Thiruvananthapuram will begin on September 30, creating a new inland water transport and tourism connection through the Kadinamkulam backwaters. Transport minister C P John is scheduled to inaugurate the service at the boat jetty in Veli Tourist Village.
The service will operate between Veli and Kadinamkulam, with the boat covering a 28-kilometre round trip that is expected to take around four hours. Two daily trips have been planned, from 9am to 1pm and from 2.30pm to 6.30pm. However, only one service will operate initially.
The first-phase operation will use a solar-powered boat rented from Cochin International Airport Ltd, or Cial. The vessel can carry up to 24 passengers. It will depart from the Veli jetty, travel through the Kadinamkulam backwaters and return to Veli after completing the route.
The service is designed to serve both regular passengers and visitors. The boat will drop passengers at Kadinamkulam jetty and then take tourists on a 30-minute cruise through the backwaters as part of the tourism offering. Arrangements are also being made with Kudumbashree to provide tea and food for tourists at Kadinamkulam.
Regular passenger fares will be distance-based. The fare from Veli to Channankara will be Rs 50, while the Channankara-to-Kadinamkulam fare will be Rs 30. A passenger travelling from Veli to Kadinamkulam will pay Rs 80. Tourists using the return service between Veli and Kadinamkulam will be charged Rs 400.
The full applicable fare will be charged to passengers above 11 years. Children between five and 11 years will pay half the applicable fare, while children below five years will be allowed to travel free, according to the details reported for the service.
The launch adds a water-based mobility option in a city where the route will also function as a tourism experience. Unlike a conventional sightseeing cruise operating only as a leisure service, the planned connection includes intermediate passenger movement through Veli, Channankara and Kadinamkulam, while also offering a separate backwater cruise component.
The solar boat service forms part of a larger inland waterway plan for Kerala extending from Kovalam to Bekal. The initial operation between Veli and Kadinamkulam will therefore serve as one component of a wider effort to develop inland water transport and tourism links across the state.
The immediate operating schedule, passenger capacity and fare structure will determine how the service balances regular travel with tourism demand during its initial phase. The second daily trip is part of the plan, but the service will begin with one operation a day.
